It’s strange where we find some of our inspirational thoughts. I’m a long-time member of Toastmasters International and every month I get their glossy magazine which contains among other things a presidential message. This month’s edition features TI’s new International President Pat Johnson (who BTW is a Canadian from B.C.). Here are a few of the quotes that she uses in her inaugural address entitled Achieving Greatness Together:

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds, your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” – Patanjali Maharishi

“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be captive of the environment in which you first find yourself” – Mark Caine

“The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already” - John Buchan

These quotes can help us to define the parameters of the October meeting dealing with RAC’s future for the goal is not to fix problems but to see a greater future for us all.